Guide for sausage stuffing machine



Oct. 21, 1958 H. w. BALLARD 2,856,742

GUIDE FOR SAUSAGE STUFFING MACHINE Filed Dec. 27. 1954 United StatesPatent GUIDE FOR SAUSAGE STUFFINGMACHINE Hyde W. Ballard, West Chester,Pa.', assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Delaware Application December 27, 1954, Serial No.477,763

1 Claim. (Cl. 53-177) This invention relates to continuous packaging.machines, and more particularly to, an improvedforming tool forcontrolling the feed of the casing.

Machines for continuously, forming. and; smiling a casing with variousobjects especially food products such as sausage are well known in theart. These machines usually supply the material to be packaged through atube or nozzle around which the casing material is continuously fed inthe form of a strip. Suitable means for guiding the strip around thenozzle to overlap the edges are utilized. In addition the overlappededges may be sealed in a variety of ways by means of a solvent,adhesive, with or without heat and/or pressure. Such sealing apparatusis of necessity intended to be limited to the overlapped portion of thecasing. It therefore becomes important to maintain the overlapped areain the proper aligned position with the various sealing mechanisms. Notonly is it important that the overlapped edges follow with reasonableaccuracy the path which provides maximum sealing effect, but anadditional factor of considerable importance is present when a liquidadhesive or solvent is applied to one or both of the casing edges beforebeing overlapped. Where the sealing agent is caustic or a dilute causticsolution, it is imperative that no more than the required amount ofcaustic be applied to the overlapped edges and that no trace of'thecaustic be carried beyond the inner overlapped edge so that it comes incontact with the contents of the casing. A typical device for formingstuffed products is shown in Conti Patent No. 2,686,128 and CornwcllPatent No. 2,686,725. As disclosed in the Conti patent a thread may beused to carry a metered quantity of the adhesive to the area between theoverlapped edges to provide more effective sealing.

It has been found in practice that the casing edges do not always runexactly through the forming tool in the same longitudinal area. This iscalled weaving and may be caused, among other things, by improperalignment or tilting of the feed roll, warping of the feed roll due touneven moisture or for some other reason which re sults in the edges ofthe casing being curved rather than straight. When one or more of theseconditions occur, the edges of the overlapped casing in the area of theforming tool tend to rotate around the stuifing nozzle so that theadhesive applying means, whether it be a wiper or a thread, is no longerlocated at the most desired point of application. Excessive displacementwill, of course, introduce sufiicient adhesive near the edge of theundercasing flap to permit the adhesive to how over the edge and come incontact with the contents.

A primary object of the invention therefore is to provide an improvedforming tool for machines of the class described which controls weavingof the casing.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in machines of theclass described, a pair of forming tools extending from opposite sidesaround the nozzle and having means thereon for limiting the amount ofrotational movement of the casing.

2,356,742 Patented Oct. Zl, 19?;

Further objects .will be apparent from'the specification and drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side view of a stuffing nozzle audits associated structureconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the structure of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section'as seen at III-III of Figure2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse .sectionas seen at IV--IV of Figure2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing the forming tool ofFigure 3 used inc-onjunction with a sealing thread; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragrnentaryj'sectional detail showing theforming tool of Figure lined in conjunction with a sealing-thread.

Theinvention comprises essentiallywthe provision of a pair of guidesextending partiallyaround the-stuffing nozzle and an abutment on eachofsaid guides to limit weaving of the web which is formed around thenozzle by means of the guides.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a conventional stuflingnozzle 5 for a food product such as sausage or frankfurter meat issupported and connected to a container 7. Valve 6 controls the flow ofthe food product to and through the nozzle 5. A roll 8 of easing orwrapping material C is supported in a bracket 9 which may or may not bemounted on the nozzle 5. The casing C feeds around the nozzle as shownin Figure 1 and is guided to form an overlapped seam extendinglongitudinally of the nozzle by means of forming tools 10 and 11. Theseforming tools are positioned on opposite sides of the nozzle and inclose spaced relation thereto to permit free passage of the casing. Inthe present embodiment, the forming tools are supported on a base member12 independently of the nozzle. The forming tool 10 which controls andguides the underneath flap or edge of the casing C is in advance of thetool 11 which controls and guides the outer flap of the casing. As seenin Figure 3 the under flap passes between forming tool 10 and the nozzle5 and the longitudinal edge of the casing is rotationally retained bymeans of an abutment 13 at the terminus of tool 10. The outer flap C isguided over the inner flap C by the second forming tool 11 whichlikewise is provided with a suitable stop or abutment 14 that preventsthe outer flap C from weaving; beyond this abutment in acounterclockwise direction as seen in Figure 4. The relative position ofthe flaps C and C for normal operation is shown in Figure-s 3 and 4. Inthis event a slight clearance is provided between the longitudinal edgesof the flaps and their adjacent abutments l3 and 14.

When the adhesive or solvent for sealing the flaps of the casing isapplied by means of a metering thread 15 (Figures 5 and 6) or if it isapplied by means of a wheel, brush or wiper, it is important that noadhesive or solvent find its way beyond the edge C as shown in Figure 5.Should excessive weaving of the casing occur, the edge of inner flap Cmight come so close to the position of the thread 15 that the solvent oradhesive would flow over the inner edge. The maximum counterclockwiserotated position of flap C is shown in Figures 5 and 6 in which the edgeof flap C has turned counterclockwise so that it impinges against theabutment 14 on tool 11. This is the maximum turned position that wouldbe possible with the illustrated construction. Figure 5 shows how evenin this maximum turned position the thread 35, which symbolizes the areain which the solvent would be applied between the flaps, is still wellspaced from the edge of the inner flap C This control then not onlyinsures that the heat and pressure sealing mechanism it The invention isnot limited to round nozzles nor to wire type of guides for the runningcasing strip. It may be applied with equal efiectiveness to any type ofmachine in Which the casing or Wrapper strip feeds over and around amandrel so that the edges of the strip are positioned to be sealed inoverlapped relationship.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A stutfing machine assembly comprising a nozzle, a supply of continuouscasing material, a first forming tool extending partially around thenozzle in spaced relation thereto and serving to direct one longitudinaledge portion of the casing material partially about said nozzle, saidfirst forming tool terminating with a casing edge abutment extendingsubstantially radially of said nozzle for limiting rotation of onetraveling casing edge in one direction relative to said nozzle, a secondforming tool extending partially around the nozzle in spaced relationthereto and serving to direct the other longitudinal edge portion of thecasing material into a generally snug relationship about said nozzle andinto overlapping relation with the first-mentioned longitudinal edgeportion, said second forming tool terminating With a casing edgeabutment extending substantially radially of said nozzle for limitingrotation of the other traveling casing edge in a direction opposite tosaid one direction and means for applying an adhesive to the casingmaterial to secure said overlapping longitudinal edge portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS680,012 Andrews Aug. 6, 1901 1,986,422 Zwoyer Jan. 1, 1935 2,285,263Fitch June 2, 1942 2,379,407 Angell July 3, 1945 2,607,696 Kunz Aug. 19,1952

